Cartridge reloader and sizer



NOV. 5, 1968 E J, SMH-H ET Al. 3,408,892

` CARTRIDGE RELOADLR AND SIZER Filed June 28, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIII- f l* Z9 E u 5 55 Z3 1NVENTOR5 I 3 Y ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,408,892 CARTRIDGE RELOADER AND SIZER Ewing J. Smith, 42 Highland Ave., Piedmont, Calif.

94611, and Leo John Pigozzi, 465 th St., Oakland, Calif. 94612 Filed June 28, 1967, Ser. No. 649,710 11 Claims. (Cl. 86-23) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for resizing spent cartridge cases and holding the cases while reloading the cartridge case with a primer, powder and bullet. The apparatus includes an anvil 'base with tool holding recesses coacting especially with a novel cartridge case resizing die and holder.

Background of the invention (l) Field of the invention-This invention pertains to an apparatus for resizing spent cartridge cases and reloading the same.

(2) Prior art-The prior art apparatus or tools for reloading spent cartridge cases utilizes a series of different dies for dilferent steps of the process and different holding devices during each of the steps. Furthermore, the prior art apparatuses utilized a series of dies which had to be clamped to an arbor press or other squeezing device.

Summary of the invention The prior art devices required considerable time in replacing the various dies on the press used to accomplish the individual steps of reloading a spent cartridge case. Furthermore, the use of various jigs to hold the cartridge case while it was being reloaded necessitated a considerable amount `of time spent in removing the case from one jig and inserting it or securing it in a second jig for a subsequent operation.

The present invention entails the utilization of a combination sizing die assembly and holder which resizes the cartridge case and then is used as holder or jig for the case during the subsequent steps in the process of reloading the case with powder and a bullet. This invention also includes the utilization of a at base member having a recess which is used to hold and position the cartridge case sizing die and holder and acts as an anvil during certain steps of the reloading operation. The base also provides various recesses for holding the various tools used during the reloading operation and a recess for holding an air actuated primer dispensing device. The primer dispensing and storage device provides a novel means of storing the primers in a desired orientation and dispensing these primers individually as desired.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cartridge case sizing die and holder for use in resizing spent cartridge cases and holding same during subsequent reloading steps.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge primer storage and dispensing device to `be used during the reloading of a spent cartridge case.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel anvil base member having means for storing the various reloading tools and a recess for holding the resizing and cartridge case holder in the proper orientation during the operations of reloading the cartridge case.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the reloading device having the tools positioned on a base;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the cartridge case sizing die and holder mounted in the lbase member and having a case partially inserted therein;

FIGURE 2a illustrates the bullet resizing die during the step of burnishing the cartridge case;

FIGURE 3 is a side view in section of the case resizing die and holder during a step of removing a spent primer;

FIGURE 4 is a partial side view in section of the case sizing die and holder illustrating a step of reshaping the primer cup of a cartridge casing;

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating loading the primers in the primer dispenser and storage device;

FIGURE 6 is a side view in section of the primer dispensing and storage device;

FIGURE 7 is a partial side view in section illustrating the tools for inserting a new primer in the cartridge casing;

FIGURE 8 is a partial side view in section illustrating the position of the tools for loading the powder in the cartridge case; and

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation in section illustrating the tools used to seat a `bullet in the reloaded cartridge casing.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodied in a Kbullet reloading and sizing device generaly indicated 'by the numeral 10. The device 10 comprises an `anvil base member 11 having means consisting of recesses for holding the cartridge case sizing die and holder assembly 12, the primer storage and dispensing device 13, a bullet seater 14, a second bullet seater 15, a primer remover 16, a primer cup sizer 17, and a second case holding jig 18. Also shown in FIG. 1 `are the primer transfer feeding device 19 and a precision primer guide 20. A primer seating tool 21 is shown in FIG. l engaged on the resizing and holding assembly 12.

A recess 22 in which the sizing die and holder are inserted has a dual function of holding the assembly 12 in a vertical position `and of acting as an anvil during certain steps in the reloading process. The recess 23 supports the primer dispensing and storage device 13 is a substantially upright position. The recesses supporting the tools 14 through 18 have a rather loose t with these tools to provide means to store the tools when they are not in use.

The base member 11 has an upper surface 24 and lower surface 25. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the recess 22 has an annular side wall 26 and a bottom surface 27. A smaller bore 28 concentric with the side wall 26 extends from the bottom surface 27 of the recess 22 and communicates with the lower surface 25 of the base member 11. At the junction of the bottom surface 27 and the opening 28 is a counterbore 29 whose function is described hereinafter.

When the cartridge has been fired, the case will be expanded or enlarged because of the internal pressure developed by the propellant. In order for the case to be reloaded and reused, the case must be reduced Iback to the original external dimensions. The neck or mouth portion of the case is subjected to the greatest amount of distortion which may include some elongation during the tiring of the cartridge. The structure of the sizing die and holder assembly 12 will reduce the case to its original size is described hereafter.

The sizing die and holder assembly 12 consists of two substantially cylindrical members 30 and 31. The member 30 has a resizing surface 32 which defines an enlarged bore 33 and a frusto-conical transition portion 34, both of which are complementary to a body portion 35 and a transition or shoulder portion 36 of a cartridge case 37 which also has a neck portion 38. The surface 32 has the dimensions to reduce or resize the body portion 35 and transition portion 36 to the desired size when the cartridge case 37 is forced into the assembly 12 as shown in FIG. 2. The member 31 has a resizing surface 39 which defines a bore complementary to the neck portion 38 which will be reduced to the desired size when the case 37 is forced into the assembly 12.

The member 30 has a cylindrical surface 40 which has a frusto-conical projection 41 at the end which is telescopically received in a hollow end portion 42 of the member 31 which overlies the portion 40. The hollow end portion 42 has a complementary frusto-conical'surface 43 for engaging the end portion 41 of the member 30. The engagement of the surfaces of the end portions 40, 41 with the surfaces of the hollowed out portions 42, 43 is a sliding fit which allows the two members 30 and 31 to be twisted with respect to each other while assembled.

As shown in FIG. 2, both the members 30 and 31 when assembled into the assembly 12 has exposed end surfaces 44 and 45, respectively. Adjacent the end surface 44 is a shoulder 46 which is a termination for an end portion 47 extending between the shoulder and the end surface 44. At the intersection of the end portion 47 and the 'Surface 44 is an annular groove 48. The member 31 also has a shoulder 49 adjacent the end surface 45 and an end portion 50 extending between the shoulder 49 and the surface 45. Both of the end portions 47 and 50 have identical dimensions so that either one may be snugly received in the recess 22 with a respective shoulder 46 or 49 abutting the surface 24 as the end surface 44 or 45 contacts the bottom 27 of the recess.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the shoulders 46 and 49 extends into knurled annular projections 51 and 52, respectively. The annular projection 51 has a second shoulder S3 facing away from the shoulder 46 and, as shown in FIG. 3, abutting an end surface 54 of the hollowed end portion 42.

The cartridge case resizing and holder assembly 12 is used by inserting it in the recess 22 in the Ibase member 11 as illustrated in FIG. 2 and tapping or forcing the cartridge case 37 into the bore of the members. The distance between the end surfaces 44 and 45 of the assembly 12 is the desired length of the -cartridge case so that the assembly 12 will act as a gaging means. When a solid base 55 of the case 37 is flush with the end surface 44, the neck should be flush with the surface 45 if the case 37 has the proper length. The forcing of the case 37 into the assembly 12 will resize the case by redu-cing the enlarged case back to the desired dimensions. After the case 37 has been forced into the assembly 12, the assembly is removed and the two members 30 and 31 are twisted with respect to each other, as illustrated in FIG. 2a, to burnish an exterior surface of the case 37. If the case 37 has been elongated, a portion will extend past the surface 45 as illustrated at 56 in FIG. 2a, this extension may be trimmed off or removed by filing the undesired portion ush to the surface 45 which functions as a gaging surface to obtain the proper length for the casing 37. It should be noted that the case 37 is what is known as a rimless cartridge case. If a cartridge case having a -rim is used, it is forced into the assembly until the rim contacts the surface 44, and the assembly 12 is so dimensioned that its neck will be flush with the surface 45 if the case has the desired length or after being trimmed. v

After resizing the cartridge, the next step in reloading consists of removing the old or spent primer 57 from a primer cup 58 in the solid base 55 of the cartridge case 37. This step is accomplished by first removing the assembly 12 from the `recess 22, inverting it, and inserting the end portion 47 into the recess 22, as illustrated in FIG. 3, with the end surface 44 and the shoulder 46 engaging the recess ybottom 27 and the upper surface 24 of the base member 11, respectively, to form a snug it. Then the primer removal tool 16 which comprises a head 59, a shaft 60 having a Vsmall diameter point or pin 61 which will pass through a fire hole 62 that interconnects the primer cup 58 and the main powder chamber 63 of the cartridge case 37 is inserted through the neck 38 of the case 37. By forcing the primer remover 16 downward by either tapping with a mallet or by using an arbor press, the pin or point 61 will pass through the re opening 62 and force the spent primer 57 out of the primer cup 58 and through the opening 28 in the base member 11. It should be noted that if a rim cartridge is being reloaded the exposed rim portion which contacts the surface 44 would be disposed in the counterbored portion 29.

The next step in the operationV after the primer remover 16 has been removed from the casing 37 consists in first removing the assembly 12, inverting it and reinserting the assembly in the recess 22 so that the end portion 50 is tightly received in the recess 22 with the surfaces of the end 45 and the shoulder 49 contacting the respective bottom 27 and the surface 24 of the base member. With the casing 37 now in the position illustrated in FIG. 4, it is ready to have its primer cup 58 resized by the primer cup resizing tool 17 which includes a head 64 attached to a shaft 65 which supports a reduced diameter sizing projection 66. The primer cup 58 is resized lby having the sizing projection 66 forced into the cup. It should be noted that in some instances it may be desirable to apply a rotational force to the primer cup sizing tool 17 to burnish the surfaces of the primer cup 58. After sizing the primer cup 58, the casing is now ready to receive a new primer.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a primer dispensing and storage device 13 which consists of a tubular member 67 having a closed end 68, the cross-section of which is substantially cup-shaped, and a second member 469 having an end 70 disposed in the tubular member 67. The sliding engagement between a surface 71 of the member 69 and the inner surface 72 of the tubular member 67 is substantially airtight. The member 69 has a bore 73 for holding a plurality of primers 74 which will rest on a restriction or interior flange 75 at the end of the bore 73 adjacent to the end 70.

The primers 74 are inserted in the bore 73 by using the primer transfer feeder 19 which is illustrated in FIG. 5 as being disassembled. The feeder 19 comprises two substantially similar portions 76 and 77. The portion 77 has an annular wall 78 defining a primer receiving recess 79. Adjacent to the wall 78 is an annular ange 80'. The portion 76 has an annular wall 81 which is complementary to and of the same height as the wall 78 for telescopically receiving the wall 78 and abutting against the ange 80 to form a substantially continuous outer surface when the two portions 76 and 77 are assembled together. Each of the members 76 and 77 have a centrally located projection 82 which has a central bore 83 for passing the primers 74 out of the feeder 19. Each of the projections 82 may have a recess 84 concentric with the bore `83 to facilitate alignment of the bore 83 with the bore 73 of the pri-mer dispensing and storage device 13 by telescopically engaging the end -85 of the member 69.

The feeder 19 is used by filling it with a plurality of primers 74 closing the two parts 76 and 77, then locating the feeder 19 with the bore 83 aligned with the bore 73 of the primer dispensing and holding device, using the recess 84, if one is available, of the feeder 19. Then the upper portion 76 is removed and all of the primers 74 which are in the proper orientation in the hollow 79'are then moved until they pass through the opening 83 and into the bore 73 of the member 69' of the dispensing and storage device 13. After all those primers which are in the right orientation have been passed through the opening 83, the portion 76 is then reassembled on the portion 77 and the feeder 19 is removed from the end 85, turned over and repositioned with the member 76 adjacent to the end 85 of the dispensing device 13. Then the portion 77 which would be on the top is removed and the remaining primers which would now be in the proper orientation are moved to pass through the bore 83 and subsequently to the bore 73 of the primer dispensing and storage device. Then the feeder 19 may be removed and placed on the base 11 out of the way of the operator.

As shown in FIG. 6, the member 69 forms a chamber 86 with the closed end portion of the interior of the tubular member 67. A resilient means 87 such as a coiled spring is disposed in this chamber to bias the member 69 to the position shown in FIG. 6. As stated hereinbefore, the member 69 forms a substantially air tight tit with the surface 72 of the tubular member 67. By forcing the member 69 towards the bottom 68, air in the chamber 86 while escaping through the bore 73 will force or eject the primer 74 out of the bore 73. The member 69 acts as a piston moving in the tubular member 67. To prevent accidental ejection of the primers 74 from the bore 73, a releasable engagement means such as a screw 88 which is screwed into a threaded bore 89 in the side of the tubular member 67 and engages an annular groove 90 in the member 69 to prevent the accidental movement of the member 69, is provided.

Disposed on the end 85 of the member 70 is the precision primer guide which has a bore 91 for receiving a primer 74. The guide 20 has an axially extending annular lip 92 which maintains the bore 91 in alignment with the bore 73 of the member 69 and, as shown in FIG. 7, ts in the groove 48 of the member 30 of the assembly 12 to position the bore 91 in alignment with the primer cup 58.

The primer guide 20 is loaded by being placed on the end 85 of the member 69', releasing the engagement means 88, 90, forcing the guide 20 and the member 69 towards the bottom 68 to eject a primer into the bore 91. It is possible that if the member 69 were forced downward too rapidly `more than one primer would be ejcted; however, by placing a linger over the bore 91, the operator may be assured of only receiving one primer in the precision primer guide 20.

The loaded precision primer guide 20 is then placed on the assembly 12 with the bore 91 in alignment with the primer cup 58. The primer 74 is then forced into the primer cup 58 by means of the primer seating tool 21. As shown in FIG. 7, the primer seating tool 21 comprises a head portion 93 attached to an enlarged end 94. The enlarged end 94 has an annular wall 95 having an inner surface 96 which slidably engages the end portion 47 as the tool is moved towards the assembly 12 to seat the primer 74. The wall 95 has an end surface 97 which engages the shoulder 46 when the primer is in the proper seated relationship or depth in the primer cup 58. The

primer 74 is'actually contacted by an annular projection 98 which denes a center bore 99 extending into the handle portion 93 to a vent 100. The annular projection 98 will contact the primer 74 only on the peripheral edge and, therefore, will not detonate the primer during its insertion into the primer cup 58. It should be noted that the dimensions of the annular wall 95 are such that the end portion or end surface 97 contacts the shoulder 47 when the annular projection 98 has forced the primer to the desired position in the primer cup and, therefore, it is impossible to apply too m-uch pressure to the primer during the insertion step.

After completing the insertion of the new primer 74 into the primer cup 58 of the cartridge 37, the assembly 11 is removed from the recess 22 and inverted so that the end portion 47 can be reinserted in the recess 22. The next step of the reloading operation is the lling of the casing 37 with the powder or propellant. As shown in FIG. 8, a funnel 101 may be inserted in the neck portion 38 of the casing 37 and a measured portion of powder poured into the casing.

Having filled the casing with powder, the next step in reloading the case 37 is the seating of the bullet or projectile 102 in the neck portion 38. This is accomplished wih the die and holding assembly 12 in the same position as for the prior step. The bullet 102 is forced into the neck portion 38 by means of the bullet seating tool 14 which comprises an upper portion 103 and an enlarged lower portion 104 having a hollow bore 105 containing a brass insert 106. The brass insert 106 has a complementary shaped bore or cavity 107 to engage the outer surface of the bullet 102. During the insertion of the bullet 10-2 into the neck 38 of the cartridge 37, the pressure exerted will cause the case 37 to slip in the bores 33, 34 and 39l until the cartridge base 55 contacts the base member 11 in the counterbore portion 29. As in the previous operations, the shape and dimensions of the bullet seating tool 14 are such that an end surface 108 will contact or engage the surface 45 of the assembly 12 when the bullet 102 has been forced to the desired depth in the neck portion 38. It should be noted that the primer 74 will not have any pressure applied to it during the bullet seating operation since it is disposed over the opening 28 and the pressure applied by the tool 14 is carried by the rim portion of the solid bore 55 of the cartridge case 37.

When the bullet 102 has been properly seated in the neck 38, the reloaded cartridge is removed from the sizing die and holder assembly 12.

In the above-mentioned method, it has been contemplated that the various tools such as 14, 16, 17 and 21 may be tapped with a mallet during each particular step. However, it is conceivable that the base assembly 11 may be mounted in conjunction with an arbor press or some other means of applying a steady pressure.

The above-described device for reloading bullets has various advantages over the prior art devices, such as the rapid changing from one particular operation to the next since none of the tools need to be secured in a press, but may merely be held there by hand until the press engages the head portions, or the tools may be forced during their various operations by merely tapping lightly with a mallet. Another distinguishing advantage over the prior art is that the assembly for resizing the cartridge case is also used as a holder during the subsequent reloading operation and, therefore, eliminates the need of both a resizing die and a `cartridge case holder.

In the above disclosed apparatus, it should be noted that a resizing die and holder assembly 12 would be necessary for each different type or caliber of ammunition reloaded. Furthermore, it should be noted that, as shown in FIG. l, various sized bullet seating tools are needed for both variations in the caliber of the bullet and in the different sizes of the bullet for the same caliber. However, it should be noted that the various resizing dies and holder assemblies 12 for different caliber cartridges can all be made with the same exterior dimensions for the end portions 47 and 50 so that the base member 11 may be utilized with each of the various resized die and holder assemblies.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to employ within the scope of the patent warranted hereon alll such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.

We claim as our invention:

1. A cartridge case sizing die and holder assembly for use with a base member for'sizing a spent cartridge case and holding said case during subsequent steps of reloading said case, said assembly comprising in combination, a substantially cylindrical-shaped assembly having a shoulder facing towards each end, a rst end portion extending between each of said shoulders and said respective ends, said end portions having identical dimensions so that each may be interchangeably inserted in a recess 7 in said base member, said assembly having a sizing surface detining a bore complementary to a cartridge case to be sized in said assembly, said bore receiving said case for sizing and for holding said case during said subsequent steps, and said cylindrical-shaped assembly and said bore each having a length which is the desired length of said sized cartridge case.

2. A sizing die and holder according to claim 1, in which said assembly comprises two cylindrical members, one of said members having a cylindrical end portion opposite said first end portion, said cylindrical end portion telescopically inserted in a hollowed end portion of the other of said members to form a slidable fit so that said members may be twisted with respect to each other to burnish said case as it is being sized, each of said members having a portion of said sizing surface and said tit between said members providing a match between said portions of said sizing surface so that said surface is substantially uninterrupted.

3. A sizing die and holder of claim 1, in which said sizing surface defines a bore having a small diameter portion at one end for receiving and sizing a neck portion of said case and a large bore portion for receiving a larger body portion of said case, said small and large portions of the bore being interconnected by a frusto-conical portion complementary to a frusto-conical portion interconnecting said neck and body portion of said case.

4. A sizing -die and holder according to claim 2, in which said one member has an annular groove in said first end portion adjacent to the end of said member to receive a complementary lip on a precision primer guide during a step of inserting a new primer in the base of said casing.

5. A sizing die and holder according to claim 2, in which said cartridge case has a neck portion and a large diameter body portion interconnected by a frusto-conical transition portion, said portions of said sizing surface of said one member defining a large diameter bore portion and a frusto-conical portion complementary to said body and transition portions of said case, said portion of said sizing surface of said other member defining a small bore complementary to said neck portion of said case.

6. A sizing die and holder according to claim 2, in which said cylindrical end portion terminates in a frustoconical end surface, and said hollowed end portion has a complementary frusto-conical portion for receiving and engaging said frusto-conical end surface.

7. A primer dispensing device for use in storing and dispensing cartridge case primers, said -device comprising in combination, a tubular member having a closed end and an open end, a second member partially disposed in said open end of said tubular member and having a sliding fit therewith to define a chamber between an end of said second member and said interior of said tubular member, said second member having an internal surface defining a bore for receiving and holding said primer in a desired position, said bore being in communication with said chamber so that when said second member is forced from an initial position further into said tubular member, air forced from said chamber will move said primers in said bore to dispense a primer from the bore.

8. A primer dispensing and storage device according to claim 7, which further includes a resilient means disposed in said chamber to return said second member to said initial position.

9. A primer dispensing and storage device according to claim 7, in which said tubular member and said second member have releasable engagement means to hold said second member in said initial position so that an accidental dispensing of a primer is prevented.

10. A cartridge case holder and sizer die for use with an anvil base to reload spent cartridge cases for reuse, which comprises a first member having a cartridge case sizing bore therethrough dimesnioned to size the main body portion of a spent cartridge case along the length thereof, a second member removably telescoped around said first member and having a portion overlying the first member with a bore beyond the bore of the first member adapted to size the neck of a cartridge case in the bore of the rst member, said first and second members being relatively rotatable when telescoped together to burnish the cartridge case in the bores thereof, said first an-d second members having a telescoped height such that the neck end of an elongated cartridge case will project beyond the bore of the second member and the end of the second member will gauge the removal of the projecting portion of the case, an anvil base having recesses for selectively receiving the ends of the first and second members to support the die in upright positions With either the first or second members thereof uppermost, and said die, when supported by said anvil, adapted to coact with additional tools for removing the primer from a cartridge case, for sizing the primer cup of the case, for inserting a new primer in the primer cup, for receiving propellant in the cartridge case, and for aflixing a bullet in the neck of the case.

11. Apparatus for sizing, holding and reloading spent Icartridge cases, which comprises a metal anvil base having a plurality of recesses in one face thereof, cartridge case tools removably carried in said recesses in upright positions on said base, said tools including a cartridge case holder and sizer die composed of telescoped parts for sizing and burnishing a cartridge case, said die having opposite end portions selectively received in a recess of the base to rmly support the die in an upright position, and tools removable from other recesses `of the base to coact with said die for removing the spent primer from the case, for sizing the primer cup of the case, for inserting a new primer in the sized primer cup, for filling the case with propellant, and for seating a bullet in the neck of the case.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 216,554 6/1879 Canfield 86-36 242,676 6/ 1881 Morris 86-24 3,205,762 9/1965 Parke 86-36 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner'. G. H. GLANZMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

